Happy Birthday
by RobD
Summary: I had to re-load this because something...bad...happened to the original. Set roughly two years before my story "One Red Rose," this is just some backstory on my character, Josh.


Authors note: Hey there, this is Rob, just letting everyone know that I still exist. This is just a little short thing, preceding my other story, "On the Winds of Dreams" by about two or three years. Basically, it's just a little back history on my character, Josh. Please don't forget to leave a review, and if you like this story, check out my other ones, especially if you want to find out what actually happens, because anyone who hasn't read my other stuff won't understand any of this. 

-Rob

***

"Hand of Fate." 

Josh took a half step forward, thrusting his fist out in front of him, then returned to his beginning stance.

"Lightning jab."

Josh repeated the move, except he punched twice, once with each fist.

"Flower cannon."

He thrust both hands out, writs together, palms facing outwards at right angles to his wrists.

"Vee-kick."

A short, quick kick.

"Magna kick followed by a lightning claw."

Turn, pivot, high roundhouse kick with two punches and an uppercut.

"Good. Your landing needs work though."

Josh looked up, sweat dripping into his eyes.

"Yes sir, Delai, sir."

"That will be enough for today, Joshua. Go on and play."

Josh bowed respectfully, then ran off, leaving the Guardian by himself.

Delai was a tall man, lean, and fairly young. You couldn't tell from the robes he wore, but he had bright, copper-red hair, and intense, bright green eyes. 

He was a Guardian-not quite digimon, but not quite human. Like a hybrid, as he tended to think. The Guardians had been disbanded for quite some time-one attack by Piedmon had made sure of that- but lately, because of one of the survivors, Gennai, the Guardians had returned, working to repair the considerable damage done to the digital world by the Dark Masters. 

Part of that was this boy.

No one knew how he arrived in the digital world, or where exactly he came from. But he was digidestined-that was enough.

Delai looked around himself at the surroundings. File Island's reconstruction was very nearly complete, and Elecmon was busier than ever at Primary Village.

"So? How's he doing?"

The Guardian didn't need to look to identify the speaker.

"He's improving quite a bit, Ryuamon." He said, nodding to the waist-high draconian digimon that stood beside him. Ryuamon had volunteered years ago to adopt the boy, and the arrangement had worked well enough. Especially since the boy's digimon partner hadn't hatched yet. 

"He needs to work on his landing. His foot bends too much."

"He's only five, Delai."

He smiled.

"True. But a very talented five year old."

There was a short lapse of silence before Ryuamon spoke again. 

"I heard something troubling the other day."

"Did you now?"

Yes, and I was hoping you might be able to put my mind at ease. According to rumor, there's some human in the digiworld who claims to be some sort of emperor."

Delai's eyebrows rose.

"I'll look into it. Anything else?"

Ryuamon looked up at him, golden eyes staring intelligently.

"Yes, as a matter of fact."

"And what might that be?"

"Josh's birthday is next week. I'd like to give him his tag and crest."

Delai thought for a moment, then nodded his assent.

"As long as you tell him how important it is."

"I will."

"And that he mustn't lose it."

"I know." 

"Then he may have it."

***

A week later, Joshua Master's celebrated his sixth birthday party, and the digimon went all out. There was candied fruit, games, and even a passing Wizardmon with some magic tricks. All of the digimon Josh knew (There were many) brought presents. Leomon gave him a small knife, instructing him how to keep it sharp and safely sheathed. His Yokomon friends made him several tasty (albeit crunchy) seed cakes; Miramon gave him a fire starter kit; Elecmon gave him a shiny red ball and Andromon gave him one of the things his factory made. 

But Josh's favorite present came from Ryuamon-a tiny pendant, hanging from a fine gold chain, and with it came a small, blue and white hexagonal object which she called a digivice. 

When he went to sleep that night, Josh couldn't remember feeling happier.

A month later, everything changed. A month later, Umbremon came for him. 


End file.
